Row Spacing and Seeding Rate Influence on Spring Canola Performance in the Northern Great Plains Bryan Hanson 1, Burton Johnson 2, Travis Hakanson 1, Lawrence Henry 1, Paula Petersen 2 (1)North Dakota State University, Langdon Research Extension Center, Langdon, ND (2)North Dakota State University, Plant Sciences, Fargo, ND
Introduction Spring canola (Brassica napus L.) is an important economic crop in North Dakota averaging 1.04 million acres annually the last 10 years. The canola industry is looking for ways to expand acreage in areas where row crops such as soybean, corn, dry bean and sugarbeets are grown. In these areas, there is potential to use row crop equipment to seed canola in wider row spacings than the current recommended 6 to 7 inches. Rising seed costs are a concern in canola production and the use of lower seeding rates in wider row spacing could enhance crop revenue.
Objective Investigate the optimum row spacing in conjunction with varying seeding rate to determine the greatest economic return per acre in canola production
Narrow Row Spacing More uniform plant distribution (equal distance between plants) resulting in: More efficient moisture, nutrient and light utilization. Less plant to plant competition. Quicker canopy closure / competition with weeds.
Wide Row Spacing Provides better residue clearance. Less soil disturbance / less power required More plant to plant competition within the row = thinner stems = more lodging. Delayed row closure more weeds.
Canada Kondra (1975) Previous Research Row Width 6, 9, 12, 24 inches@ 2.5, 5.3, 10.7 lbs/a Narrow row space at 5.3 lbs/a was optimum Canada Christiansen and Drabble (1984) No yield difference between 6 and 12 lbs/a 9 inch row yield 11% less than 6 inch row Canada Manitoba Morris (1990) Row Width 6 and 12 @ 1.3, 2.6, 5.3,10.7 lbs/a -1.3 to 2.6 lbs/a highest yield in 6 inch row Lodging reduced in narrow rows
Previous Research Canada Thomas (2003) 15 site years 6 and 12 inch rows yielded similar Canada Sask. Kutcher et al. (2013) Row width 9, 12, 18, 24 @ 8, 16, 24 seed/ft 2 in No-Till Yield decreased 11% from 9 to 24 inches, No difference between seeding rate North Dakota Johnson and Hanson (2003) No difference in yield or oil content between 6 and 12 in rows North Dakota Ericksmoen Minot REC (2014) Row width 7, 15, 30 inch. 30 inch significantly less than 7 & 15 Seeding rate 7 17 seeds/ft 2, No yield difference. North Dakota Hanson (2013-2014) RR and LL optimum seeding rate at 9-12 seeds/ft 2 for yield and net return/acre
Materials and Methods Row spacing - 6, 12, and 24 inches Seeding rates 3, 6, 9, 12 PLS/ft 2 Design: Split plot Row spacing Main Plot, Seeding Rate Subplot, 4 replications Variety: InVigor L140P, KWT-4.55 g, Germination-97%. Seed cost- $12.30/lb. October Market Price- 2015-$14.13/cwt, 2016- $14.70/cwt. Net Return $/a=grain value/a seed cost/a Small plot planter, conventional tillage
Site locations Langdon 2015 Planted May 12 Replanted June 4 due to soil crusting and frost June 5 2.36 inches of rain in 2 hours Harvest Sept 24 May - August Rainfall 12.11 inches Temperature Mean 62 Langdon 2016 Planted May 16 Very good stands Harvest August 30 May August Rainfall 19.34 Temperature 63 Prosper 2015 Planted May 22 Excellent stands Harvest Aug 22 May August Rainfall - 15.09 Temperature Mean 65 Prosper 2016 Planted May 17 Mixed stands fair-good Harvest August 25 May-August Rainfall 9.21 Temperature Mean 66
6 inch 12 inch 24 inch Three row spacings, 6, 12, and 24 inch, at the 12 seeds/ft 2 seeding rate at flowering and post harvest stubble at Langdon, ND.
6, 12, 24 in row 3, 6, 9, 12 PLS/ft 2 seeding rate September 11, 2015 6 Row 12 Row 24 Row
Seeding rates, seed cost and target seeds per linear foot of row for trials at Langdon and Prosper, ND in 2015 and 2016. Seeding Rate Seeds/ft 2 Seeding Rate lbs/acre Seed Cost/acre Seeds/acre Targeted seeds per linear foot of row 6 row 12 row 24 row 3 1.35 16.61 131K 1.5 3.0 6.0 6 2.68 32.96 261K 3.0 6.0 12.0 9 4.05 49.82 392K 4.5 9.0 18.0 12 5.35 65.81 522K 6.0 12.0 24.0
Traits observed Spring stand count Harvest stand count % Cover Days to 100% Cover Days to first flower Days to end flower Flower duration Days to mature Plant height Lodging 1000 kwt Oil Content Yield Net return/a
Percent pure live seed emergence of canola averaged across row spacings and seeding rates at Langdon, ND in 2015 and 2016. Seeding Rate Seeds/ft 2 Langdon 2015 Langdon 2016 Row Spacing Inches Langdon 2015 Langdon 2016 3 41 94 6 40a 100a 6 57 84 12 35a 83b 9 47 92 24 71b 84b 12 49 88 LSD 5% NS NS 11 14
Yield lbs/a Canola yield at four seeding rates and three row spacings at Langdon, 2015. 4500 4000 3500 Row Spacing 6 inch 12 inch 24 inch 3675 3373 3355 3952 3448 3000 2500 2635 2515 2477 3195 2768 2925 3190 2000 1500 LSD 5% 322 Compare two seeding rates at same row spacing. LSD 5% 483 Compare two row spacings at same or different seeding 3 6 9 12
Yield lbs/a Canola yield at three row spacings averaged across four seeding rates and four seeding rates averaged across three row spacings at Langdon, 2016. 3500 3000 a LSD 5% 174 a LSD 5% 244 a a a 2500 b b 2000 1500 1000 500 6 12 24 3 6 9 12 Row Spacing - inches Seeding Rate Seeds/ft 2
Canola yield at four seeding rates averaged across three row spacings and row spacings averaged across four seeding rates at Prosper 2015 and 2016. Seeding Rate Seeds/ft 2 Prosper 2015 Prosper 2016 Row Width Inches Prosper 2015 Prosper 2016 3 1720a 1513a 6 2194a 2333a 6 1985b 1999b 12 1891b 1776b 9 2165c 2131b 24 1972b 1737b 12 2206c 2152b LSD 5% 147 257 108 322
Net Return $/acre Canola Net Return $/acre at four seeding rates and three row spacings at Langdon, 2015. 550 500 450 Row Spacing 6 inch 12 inch 24 inch 443 470 493 425 421 400 350 300 356 339 334 418 358 364 385 250 200 LSD 5% 46 Compare two seeding rates at same row spacing. LSD 5% 62 Compare two row spacings at same or different seeding rates. 3 6 9 12 Seeding Rate Seeds/ft 2
Canola Net Return $/acre at three row spacings averaged across four seeding rates and four seeding rates averaged across three row spacings at Langdon, 2016. 500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 a LSD 5% 26 LSD 5% 36 a b 6 12 24 3 6 9 12 Row Spacing - inches Seeding Rate Seeds/ft 2 b a a a
Canola Net Return $/acre at four seeding rates averaged across three row spacings and three row spacings averaged across four seeding rates at Prosper 2015 and 2016. Seeding Rate Seeds/ft 2 Prosper 2015 Prosper 2016 Row Spacing Inches Prosper 2015 Prosper 2016 3 226a 206a 6 269a 301a 6 247b 260b 12 226b 219b 9 256b 263b 24 238b 214b 12 245ab 250b LSD 5% 21 38 15 47
Conclusions Canola in crusted soils in 24 inch row spacing may have improved emergence due to neighboring plants aiding each other in breaking the crust while in non-crusted soils emergence could be reduced from self thinning due to increased plant competition. At Langdon, the optimum combination of row spacing and seeding rate for Net Return $/acre was seeding in a 6 or 12 inch row spacing at a seeding rate of 6 or 9 seeds/ft 2. At Prosper, the optimum combination row spacing and seeding rate for Net Return $/acre was seeding in a 6 inch row spacing at a seeding rate of 6 or 9 seeds/ft 2. Effects of row spacing and seeding rate on agronomic traits (data not shown) of flowering, maturity, plant height, kernel weight, percent oil and lodging were very small or non-significant and would have little practical value in canola production.
Thanks to the NCGA and Walsh County CIA for supporting this research.